Concerns
by Isolee
Summary: KakashixKotetsu. Kotetsu is concerned about his lover, and his lay-back way of handling things.
1. Concerns

_Grace Kelly_

"Kakashi?" Kotetsu leaned on the wall just outside the bathroom confusedly. Kakashi gave an acknowledging grunt while he - with great care - critically inspected his teeth in the mirror over the washbasin.

"They say here," Kotetsu smacked the open paper in his hands. "That there was an 'explosive bomb' involved in your last mission."

Kakashi knew by listening to Kotetsu's voice that he was frowning. "Are there any other kind?" he asked and reached for his toothbrush. He stopped and stared at it. "Hey, Ko'? Have you been using my toothbrush? It's all flat." He frowned. " And where's 'here', anyway?"

Kotetsu pushed off the wall and entered the bathroom with his eyes locked on the article in the paper. "Why on earth would I use you toothbrush?" he drawled before changing tone. "It's in the KatM. They say it "fortunately didn't go off". You never told me any of that."

"But it's all flat, I said. It wasn't when I left last week, I'm sure," Kakashi turned it over in his hands while peeling of his socks with his feet. "It didn't go off, no, so I didn't think it would humour you to hear about it. It was a defect; someone had made a mistake in making it. And that's that."

Kotetsu bent over to pick of the dirty socks and other bits of clothing Kakashi carelessly had thrown on the bathroom tiles, scowling at the paper as the stench of sweat and smoke - and other suspicious smells that he didn't care to find out what they were- reached his nose. "And because it's flat now, I'd have to be the mastermind?" He shook out the wrinkled paper as he stood up and dumped the clothing in a laundry basket by the wall. "But they say it was one of the new kind, you know, the K13? I've written reports on those for the Hokage. You do realise it could've de-lifed you and a radius of a hundred metres?"

"You know you push too hard when you brush, all of your toothbrushes have looked like this," Kakashi held out the toothbrush to Kotetsu, who looked up from the paper and rolled his eyes. "So it would've humoured you?" Kakashi wiggled an eyebrow and taunted Kotetsu by keeping the brush out of his reach as he grabbed for it. "Turned you on, perhaps?"

Kotetsu pursed his lips, not liking the teasing -buthopeful- tone in Kakashi's voice.

"First of all, that's my brush, '_Kashi_," he said dryly, snatching it from his grip. "And secondly, no, it does neither humour nor turn me on to read how very close to death you've been, you great idiot."

Kakashi stared at his open hand were the toothbrush recently had been, then turned his eyes to Kotetsu's hand to regard it with such suspicious surprise that Kotetsu sighed frustratedly and pushed past him to the plastic mugs on the shelf over the washbasin. He took the remaining toothbrush and offered it to Kakashi.

"You got the pink one this time, remember? It looks just the same as it did when you left."

Kakashi accepted it with a look of wonder. "Oh. Right."

"What if it would've gone off? Huh?" Kotetsu folded the paper and smacked Kakashi's biceps with it. "They say it wasn't spotted until it was 'too late'. Which one of you was it? Which one of you was _dumb enough_ not to watch the _air_ above his _empty ball_ of a _head_?"

"You're being very sweet, Kotetsu." Kakashi turned away to search the shelf for toothpaste. "But it's no use thinking along those lines. And I've already scolded the guy."

Kotetsu put the paper under his arm and nudged the plastic shower door open with his foot. He leant in to put on the water while Kakashi reunited happily with his own toothbrush. The water would take a minute to heat up.

"So you did not mention it in your mission report? _Again_." Kotetsu had a sharp edge to his voice that made Kakashi cringe. "It might as well happen again, sometime when his comrades aren't as lucky as you were. There's a reason as to why we're obliged to include everything in the reports, Kakashi! You've been around long enough to see that these kinds of things come back later on. Just because a superior failed to report a guy, thinking he "prolly won't do the same mistake again". Next time, they'll look for someone to blame, because there will be _dead guys_ lying around!"

Kakashi held his hands and toothbrush out submissively and tried to say something. Instead, he ended up spraying Kotetsu with flecks of toothpaste.

Kotetsu glared at him and wiped an especially big fleck off his face. Kakashi winced and hurriedly spat it out in the basin.

"Sorry," he said quickly. "But as I said - I have already scolded the guy. Reporting him would mean people superior to me would've scolded him again, giving him a warning that would show on his record forever and then send him on his merry way along with some nasty rumours and he'd never get over the shame while people wouldn't ever want to hire him again out of suspicion and his friends would never want to team up with him again!"

"That's the general idea!" Kotetsu snapped as Kakashi stopped to breathe. "He put you in danger."

Kakashi was careful to spit before talking this time.

"Yes, well, now he's gotten a second chance without a warning in his record, though knowing I'll be watching him. He owes me one, because it stays between him and me." He rinsed his mouth with water. "And, frankly, I'd be surprised if he ever accepts a mission ranking higher than C again. I said, I _scolded_ him. Like, really bad. You'd know what I'm talking about if you'd ever been scolded by me."

He wiped his chin off on a towel and glanced at Kotetsu, who glared at him.

"Have I ever scolded you?" he asked uncertainly.

"Yes," Kotetsu retorted dryly. "A lot of times, you have."

"Really?" Kakashi straightened, surprise evident on his face. "About what?"

"Mainly about that," Kotetsu said and pointed towards the flat toothbrush.

Kakashi chuckled fondly. "I'm sorry."

He placed a small kiss on the side of Kotetsu's cheek before the chuunin could react. "But you really do brush too hard."

Kotetsu made an indecent gesture at the outranking jounin back as the object tested the temperature of the shower with a naked foot.

"Isn't it curious, though," Kakashi retreated his foot and started pulling his turtleneck over his head. "That something like that would be in the papers? I mean, some would say it was classified information about the mission for yours and the Hokage's eyes only, since you handle the reports, and she's who she is. I mean, I don't remember talking to anybody about it."

Kotetsu shrugged.

"It's a-" he was interrupted by a yawn working its way up his throat. Kakashi raised an eyebrow while pulling off his pants. "A... uh, civilian evening paper I happened to stumble upon. I just wanted to see what Tsunade-sama had told the population about that rich guy's little accident last week."

"It's rubbish," Kakashi warned.

"Why, thank you," Kotetsu said sarcastically. "For telling me."

"Yeah, yeah. Could you put these in the laundry basket, you think?" Kakashi offered him the uniform he'd just stripped of. Kotetsu took one look at the pile in his arms and asked if he wouldn't rather him to burn them, but he did as asked. Kakashi chuckled, but didn't move to step into the shower.

"Well?" Kotetsu ushered him into it. "Hurry up. You stink."

"You haven't welcomed me home yet," Kakashi reminded him, a foot stopping Kotetsu's tries to close the shower door. Water quickly streamed down his face, flattening his hair. A dark grey puppy-eye blinked pleadingly at Kotetsu from behind the silver curtain. Kotetsu shook his head.

"I kissed you by the door."

"But you didn't say 'Welcome home'."

"Did too."

"No, you said 'Welcome back'."

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes. You didn't say it like you use to."

"I said it just like I used to, Kakashi. Let me close the door, you're getting water everywhere."

"But I didn't hear it."

"Kakashi-"

A hurt expression appeared on Kakashi's face as the water cleared it of locks, and it triggered Kotetsu's conscience, just as Kakashi knew it would.

Kotetsu sighed.

Kakashi added a wobbly lip.

"I can't believe you're the mighty and fearsome Sharingan no Kakashi. You're a disgrace to your name," Kotetsu complained.

"Not at home, I'm not. At home, I'm your 'Kashi," Kakashi said with Kotetsu figured was supposed to be a winning smile.

Kotetsu groaned. "Yeah, yeah."

With a sigh, he leant forward into the shower, getting himself wet in the process.

"Welcome home."

The kiss was short, but only because Kotetsu broke it off halfways.

"Want to join me?"

Winking.

Kotetsu frowned. "Not until you smell human again."

And proceeded with shutting the door in Kakashi's face.


	2. But I'm Still Concerned

This was written just after the first part, but I've never been happy with it. I decided to post it after some minor changes.

Just to sum it up.

I am my own beta. You find anything wrong? Send me a scream.

UA

* * *

Kotetsu lay on his back in bed, on top of the covers, with his hands behind his head.

He was staring at the ceiling with mild interest.

A chilly evening breeze sneaked in through the partly open balcony door, tugging at the curtains and cooling the room after the hot summer day that was just passing away into the horizon. There was no clock on the wall to break the silence, though a digital one sat on the bedside table across from where Kotetsu was laying.

Kakashi had once claimed that he knew how little time they both could have left without a clock "tick-tocking" over his "freaking head" as a countdown.

If it hadn't been a misproduced K13, Kotetsu would've been laying there with the silence, remembering what Kakashi'd said, and thought that, the clock did get him, after all. He'd probably been lying on their bed, waiting for something to announce his own end.

However much sense that made.

As it was, though, Kotetsu could hear Kakashi's choked swearing as he most likely jammed his toe into the threshold by the bathroom. Again.

He could hear grumbling and hissing as Kakashi made his way to the kitchen, the soft padding of feet against varnished floor, hopping a little to emphasize the pain. The opening and closing of the fridge. The closing of the windows that had been left open in the living room, and the final padding of those wet, naked feet on their way towards the bedroom.

Padding that stopped at the door, with a whisper of, "Sleeping?"

"Trying to," Kotetsu said to the ceiling. He glanced at Kakashi. The naked, pale chest heaved as the man chuckled, fine muscles tensing and relaxing. He had a white, fluffy towel secured tightly around his waist that didn't slide at all, as he walked over to Kotetsu's side of the bed, basking in the orange glow by the balcony door of glass.

"It's easier with your eyes closed."

"Really."

Kakashi sat down on the bed beside Kotetsu. He supported his weight with his left hand, looking at the younger one with his head tilted to the side.

"You've been awfully sarcastic since you read that disgusting paper," Kakashi stated as he tried to catch Kotetsu's eyes. He failed, as Kotetsu stared past his shoulder at the moving curtains.

"Where's the real Kotetsu?" Kakashi asked.

Kotetsu drew a breath before speaking.

"In the corner over there," he said, gesturing absently towards the corner at the far end of the room, "screaming, thrashing, shaking. Generally panicking while crying his guts out."

His hand stood still in the air, pointing in the direction of the corner. Kakashi grasped it, gently laying it down by Kotetsu's head. His eyes searched for Kotetsu's while a small smile played on his lips, tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Kotetsu stared at the ceiling.

Kakashi caressed the chuunin's hand, traced the lines of his palm with slightly calloused fingers.

Kotetsu's eyes travelled down Kakashi's left.

Kakashi forced his fingers apart and entwined them with his own.

Kotetsu's eyes dropped to Kakashi's chest.

Kakashi squeezed his hand gently.

Kotetsu looked at him. They stared silently at one another for a second, and Kakashi's smile grew a little bit wider, a little bit more handsome. "And I love you, too," he said after a long minute. His eyes crinkled.

Another breeze drew in from the balcony, sending tiny goose bumps over Kakashi's back and arms.

"You better close that door," Kotetsu advised. Kakashi got up after a second. He let go of Kotetsu's hand gingerly.

Kotetsu's sighed and rubbed his forehead. He looked through his fingers at Kakashi's form in the last remaining light from the early evening as the man took his time eyeing the village down below before he would shut the door and lock it.

"How was your day?" Kakashi spoke low and directed his question to the streets and rooftops beneath him.

"You really want to know?" Kotetsu asked softly. "A daze."

Kakashi turned his head and gave him a compassionate look that fitted his calm features very well and that Kotetsu was sure he had dibs on. Then Kakashi walked out of his line of sight, and took with him that look.

He felt a weight on the matress as Kakashi lay down on his side of the bed, on top of the covers as well, and he rolled over on his elbows.

Kakashi had mimicked his style with his hands behind his head. He tilted his head to look at Kotetsu in the comfortable silence.

Kotetsu stared at Kakashi's bare torso for a minute, then brought his hand up and slowly drew his nails over Kakashi's chest.

"Want me to get you something?"

Kotetsu grunted and didn't take his eyes off his hand. "Don't treat me like your pregnant wife," he said indignantly.

Kakashi's laugh made his chest heave suddenly, sending Kotetsu's fingers flying. Kotetsu grinned himself and heaved himself up over Kakashi by placing one hand on his chest and one knee beside his hip. "'Cause I'm not."

"Oh, I know you're not," Kakashi insured him. "But is there anything _else_ you want?"

Kotetsu grinned wider. "Hm," he said promptly and leaned forward to be kissed.

Kakashi gladly kissed him, taking his hands out from behind his head to grasp Kotetsu's arm and tug him closer. His tongue touched and licked all those places he had to fantasise about when he was out on one of his long-range missions. He held onto Kotetsu as the man was about to draw back, and urged him to kiss deeper.

His left hand tugged at the hem of Kotetsu's t-shirt, too busy to say anything, and really wanting more of him as he finally drew back for air. Kotetsu opened his closed eyes partly and pulled the shirt over his head. He let it drop to the floor beside the bed before he leaned back in again.

Kakashi felt that familiar ease spreading in his chest, a real, physical feeling of calm. He'd faced off death that morning, no matter how many jokes he made. And the day before that. For two weeks, he'd been sleeping lightly without his chuunin beside him. He welcomed the warmth that flowed out into his arms and his legs, and the pooling of it in his midsection and made no effort to speed up the process of undressing Kotetsu, who pulled back to eye the smiling man suspiciously.

"You're not going to fall asleep, are you?" Kotetsu narrowed his oblique eyes.

Kakashi idly wondered if there was a man who could fall asleep with Kotetsu on top of him, or even space out for a minute.

Or for a second.

For a microsecond,

a…

"You calling me old?" Kakashi scowled teasingly as his hands travelled up Kotetsu's thighs. He could see Kotetsu shiver as he rested his hands against his hips and his thumbs in the junctions of Kotetsu's legs and midsection.

"No," Kotetsu said slowly. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but obviously thought against it. Kakashi raised an eyebrow and slid his hands inside the hem of Kotetsu's sweatpants.

There was a sharp intake of breath, and Kakashi was flipped on top of Kotetsu, who smirked and brought up a knee to stroke the outside of Kakashi's towel.

"Show me your 'old man' tricks," the eight-year younger shinobi whispered teasingly.

-

* * *

Not to be continued, but thank you for all the faves and such :)


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